A Comparative Randomized Cross-Over Trial to Examine Efficacy of Urine Capture and Comfort of Two Male External Urine Collection Devices in Healthy Male Volunteers - Beyond the Abstract
As obesity becomes ever more prevalent, the number of men with buried penises increases making the use of condom catheters impractical. Likewise, long-term inappropriate use of indwelling urethral catheters is undesirable and associated with urethral trauma and catheter associated urinary tract infections, both linked to increases in mobility and mortality. At the time of the experiment, there were few, if any, data from rigorously conducted clinical studies.
Eligible men came to the testing centre with a full bladder and the first device was attached in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications, the man voided, and the amount of urine captured by the device was calculated by adding the volume of urine in the suction canister and any gain in weight of a pre-weighed containment product. The device was then removed, and the man was allowed to drink until he felt the need to void again, at which time the alternative device was used, and the urine collection efficiency of the second device was measured. Notably, the second void was smaller than the first void in this laboratory experiment, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. The differences in capture between device A and device B were preserved regardless of volume of void.
Unfortunately, in this sample, there were few men with buried penis, and we were unable to make any meaningful conclusions about the utility of either device in this group of men. Men using the device rated the comfort of the device and the likelihood of recommending its use. Both variables favored the Purewick over the Sage device. This trial provided useful preliminary short-term data on the effect of the collection devices. However, these data may not be sustained with chronic use or in the men's place of residence. There remains a requirement to assess the utility of the device in men with buried penis and to gain data on utility and acceptability to nonprofessional care partners have dependent men at home. Hopefully, these data will be forthcoming in the near future.
Written by: Adrian Wagg, MB, BS, FRCP(LOND), FRCP(EDIN), FCGS, FHEA(MD), Professor of Healthy Ageing, College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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